Not Always Black or White
by DeltaWing13
Summary: Years after the betrayal, Ash has returned. With a goal and a plan, he'll take the world by storm, and finish what he started. This takes place in Black/White 2. Ash x Rosa. Up for Adoption.
1. Ends and Beginnings

**AN: Long time no see, people! If you want a reason for my absence, please read my profile! As for this… Well, turns out I'm not good at writing soppy stuff like that, so here's a new one! But bear with me, this is basically a continuation of my discontinued story, with a timeskip. Skip all the melodrama, yeah?**

 **Also, this ties loosely to Black 2, and was inspired by the trailer for that. (You should really watch it, it's great!) May include an OC.**

 **No pairings yet. Enjoy!**

..

A teen with spiky black hair strode down Road 19, humming a soft tune. It was a few hours before noon, Aspertia City not too far ahead.

The person in question was wearing jeans and a black and red jacket, the hood being unused at the moment. Instead, a black hat with a red half-pokeball design rested on his head. At his waist were six pokeballs, and a mega-evolution bracelet on his right wrist. A small scar ran down his left cheek. A simple black backpack hung on his back.

He was relatively tall for an 18-year-old, well-built from years of training.

"I wonder how Cheren's doing...? Haven't seen him in ages..."

..

"C'mon!" Hughes called, walking ahead. "Let's go get your Pokemon!"

Grinning, the brown-haired boy sprinted forwards. "Let's check the lookout first!"

Quickly, the two childhood friends bounded up the steps, reaching the top in no time at all. Sure enough, a girl with a large, green hat was there.

"Don't you think the view is great?" she said, eyes glittering as she rested her arms on the railing. "Oh, sorry! I'm Bianca, Professor Juniper's assistant. Would you happen to know someone called Nate?"

He walked forwards, nodding. "Yup. That's me!"

..

Spotting a familiar face atop the lookout Aspertia was ever so famous for, the black-haired teen grinned. Walking up the steps, he heard the faint sounds of a battle.

"Tepig, tackle!"

"Dodge it, Oshawott! Then use Tackle!"

'They don't sound too experienced...' was his first thought, frowning. 'Reminds me of my first battle...'

Grimacing at the memory, and the recollections that came with it. Shaking his head, he hurried up the remaining steps.

"Yo, Bianca!" he called, a smile on his face once more. "Still running into people?"

Immediately, Bianca looked away from the battle, recognizing the voice. "Ash?"

Recognizing the face, she smiled brightly. "It _is_ you! Ash, It's been forever!"

Running up to him, she hugged him tightly, her head reaching up to his chin. After a moment of hesitation, Ash returned the hug lightly.

The two stayed like that, until Bianca realized what she was doing, jumping back as she did. "S-sorry! Anyways, why were you gone for so long? Nobody knew where you were!"

Ash shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Just a training trip, nothing more. Anyways, who're those two? They seem new to this."

"Hm?" The blonde tilted her head, before realizing who he was referring to. "Oh, this is Nate, and Hugh! They're just starting their adventure!"

Nate stepped forwards, looking between the two. "Ash, was it? Would you like to battle?"

"Hey, battle me, too!" Hugh called out, recalling his own fainted Pokemon, Oshawott.

Ash looked to Bianca, who shrugged. "They need to visit the Pokemon Center first, but why not?"

"Well... Ok, then."

..

After the Pokemon were healed- thankfully, their injuries were light, so it didn't take long-, Nate's mom and Hugh's sister gave them some necessities needed for their trip, including a map.

The group made their way to the forest, Ash chatting with Bianca, and Nate chatting with Hugh.

"So... I got some stuff I wanna get done with, so why don't we do a two on one?" Ash asked, once they were ready.

"But..." Hugh started, stopping as Nate put a hand on his shoulder.

"C'mon, don't you think it'll be interesting?"

While they talked, Bianca approached Ash worriedly. "Are you still planning on doing... that?"

Quickly, Ash turned to her with a look of surprise.

"How did you..." he started, before sighing. "Yeah, I am. Nothing's going to change my mind, Bianca."

Frowning, the blond nodded, and returned to the bench.

"Anyways..." Ash muttered, turning to the two. "Oy, you ready?"

"Yeah! " Nate replied. "Let's do this, Tepig!"

Hugh did the same, a grin on his face. "Let's get this show on the road, Oshawott!"

"I'm counting on you, Gabite." Ash said, calling his own Pokemon into battle.

"Oshawott, use Water Gun!" Hugh called, taking the initiative with a type-effective attack.

"Dodge, then Dragon Rush."

Jumping over the stream of water, Gabite enveloped itself in a blue aura, shooting at Oshawott with incredible speed.

"Protect Oshawott with Ember!" Nate called out, receiving a grateful nod from his childhood friend.

Quickly, Tepig shot the fire in front of Gabite, but the dragon continued, trusting it's trainer.

"Counter with Stone Edge at Tepig, then Dragon Claw on Oshawott." Ash called out, waving his arm in a sweeping motion, maintaining his composure.

"Ugh..." Hugh gritted his teeth. "Dodge it, Oshawott!"

"Too slow..."

In an instant, Gabite had closed the remaining distance and swiped his attack across it's chest. At the same time, the glowing rocks overwhelmed Tepig's flames, the type-effective attack knocking it out.

"Hmm... That was a good match." Ash said, recalling his Pokemon with a grin. "Hugh, you were correct in taking the initiative, and the typing. But you need to react faster, and keep your defense up."

Nodding gratefully, Hugh recalled his own Pokemon. "Good job, Oshawott. Thank you, Ash."

"No problem." Ash responded turning to his second opponent, who had recalled his Pokemon with words of praise as well. "You're the opposite. Your defense was good, but you need to focus more on offense. If you launched the Ember directly at my Gabite, you might've landed a hit instead of leaving yourself open for a counter."

Grinning, Nate gave a mock salute. "Yes, Ash-san!"

Sighing, turned to Bianca. "Well? Shall we go?"

The blond girl blinked, before realizing he was talking to her. "Eh? Ah, yeah! Of course, where are you headed off to?"

"Hmm?" Ash tilted his head to one side. "What are you so surprised about?"

"Ah... I just never took you for a teacher..." Bianca said, averting her gaze.

Ash looked at her blankly for a few seconds, before shaking himself back to attention. "Ah, right. Anyways, I'm going to visit an old friend. Bianca, don't you have a job from the Professor?"

Fumbling around her bag, Bianca pulled out what looked suspiciously like a grocery list.

"Umm... I have to do this... and that... But I've got time!" Bianca exclaimed, smiling. "How about a battle to pass the time? For old time's sake?"  
Ash grinned, reaching for another Pokeball. "Sure! Let's do this, Lucario!"

"Come on out, Samurott!" Bianca yelled, eyes glittering.

"Double Team, Lucario." Ash declared, keeping a wary eye on his opponent. "No doubt you've picked up a few tricks the past few years, right?"

"Ehehe. Not as much as you, probably." Bianca replied, rubbing the back of his head. "Samurott, Swords Dance!"

Now a trio of Lucario stood at on one side of the field, while glowing swords circled Samurott, who stood on the other.

"Blast him with Hydro Pump!" Bianca responded immediately.

"Block it with Aura Sphere!"

Quickly, all of the Lucario formed the blue sphere of energy, running forwards. In response, Samurott shot the pulse of water at his opponent.

Immediately, Lucario placed Aura Sphere in front of him, the orb diverting the attack around him. However, the clones were unable to do the same, making them disappear.

"Follow through with Thunder Punch!" Ash called out, not wasting a moment.

"Parry it with Cut!"

The two attacks were evenly matched, and they disengaged after a few seconds.

"Flash Cannon, Lucario!"

"Ice Beam, Samurott!"

The two attacks collided, gray and blue transforming into a large dust cloud, making both fighters cough. Slowly, the smoke dissipated, revealing Samurott... but not Lucario.

"Wha- Watch out, Samurott!"

"Giga Impact, Lucario!"

Immediately, a shadow appeared over Samurott, growing larger as the attack landed, the gravity multiplying the damage created.

Before long, the dust cleared, showing Ash's bipedal pokemon standing proudly, not even looking winded.

..

 **Anyhow… This probably won't be updated in a while. I just figured you guys might wanna know what I meant in the Author's Note from Flickering Flames.**


	2. A New Adventure

**AN: Long time no see, people! Anyways, upon viewing my reviews from the first chapter, and, well… I got quite a few DMs about the ending… I'm sorry, I was sleepy and just kinda brushed that out before bed. I tweaked it a bit, so there you go… And as for the pairing, I got one suggestion. ONE. I guess I'm going with that, then. Lol. Finally, for all the grammar advice. Have you read the stories on this site? I can't even read a bunch of them, so I think I'm doing just fine. Y'know, all things considered. Also I searched up the Pokemon Rosa will have. Cheers.**

 **Anyways, enjoy!**

 **IMPORTANT: In case you didn't know, the pairing is now Ash x Rosa. Since there was literally no other suggestions. Just so you don't hafta go digging in the comments section.**

..

Bianca eased Charizard down slowly as she approached Nuvema Town. She still wasn't used to riding the powerful flying fire-type. She had seen Charizards before, mostly in pictures or videos, but this one seemed a lot stronger…

Well, it was Ash's. He had insisted that Bianca borrow Charizard for her ride back when he found out that she didn't have a flying-type Pokemon with her. Honestly, that helped a lot. She might even get ahead of schedule!

Charizard landed perfectly, surely due to Ash's training, and the blonde got off quickly.

"Th-thank you!" she stuttered, opening up Charizard's pokeball.

Nothing happened.

"Uhh… you can go back now!" Bianca told him. "...Please?"

Charizard seemed to be grinning as he disappeared in a red flash.

Sighing, she stashed the pokeball into her bag and headed for the Pokemon Center. Once inside, she accessed the terminal and placed Charizard's pokeball on top of it.

"How will it get to Ash, though…?" she wondered aloud, as, suddenly, a blue light enveloped the pokeball. When it vanished, so had Charizard.

"Heyyyyy! Bianca!"

Bianca jumped in surprise as a girl's voice suddenly called out, from right behind her. "Rosa! Don't scare me like that!"

"Ehehe…" Rosa looked sheepish, rubbing the back of her head. "Anyways, what were you doing?"

"Just doing a favor for a friend." Bianca replied vaguely.

Rosa nodded in understanding, then pulled out her pokeball excitedly. "Anyways, I wanted to thank you for Snivy! We were out practicing all day yesterday, and we're finally ready to leave town!"

Bianca beamed, always eager for a discussion on Pokemon. "Really? That's wonderful! I still remember when I started my journey… I never thought I'd end up working with Professor Juniper!"

Bianca and Rosa talked for a bit, mostly unimportant things, before Bianca checked her watch.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed. "I've got to hurry, the Professor should be expecting me soon!"

"Well, see ya!" Rosa called out as the blonde rushed out of the pokemon center. "Oh, and thank Professor Juniper for me, too, please!"

A faint 'Sure thing!' was the response, as Rosa hefted her bag. "I should get going, too."

..

Nate sighed as he looked at the pair of maps he was given by Hugh's little sister. Granted, he was excited, too, but leaving without even a map? That was ridiculous!

The new trainer grinned as he looked over Tepig's pokeball, before tucking it back in his backpack..

Quickly, Nate started to jog down Route 19, towards Floccesy Town, until he heard a voice. Quickly, he ducked into the foliage and hid in a bush.

"So, what've you been up to, for the past two years?" the first voice said.

"After my collaboration with Hilbert, you mean?" the second replied.

By now, Nate was close enough to see their outlines, as they were leaning on opposite sides of a tree trunk.

The bigger, red-haired man shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Were you really training all this time?"

The other nodded nonchalantly, tossing a pokeball up and catching it with his hand, over and over again. "Pretty much. I finished off whatever remained of the organizations and did a few odd jobs here and there for Arceus, but other than that…"

Arceus? Nate vaguely remembered something about the name, but… No, it couldn't be.

The older man whistled. "Dang. I'd love to see how much stronger you've grown…"

"I'd beat your ass, old man!"

"Eh? You say that as if you thought you actually believe it!"

The two laughed at their banter, before the younger person's voice grew serious. "Alder, the one you're waiting for. The one Professor sent you to guide. He's got potential. Like Hilbert."

'Alder' nodded, rising up and stretching."Alright. It's been nice talking to you again… Ash."

Nate's eyes widened, but he had the sense to keep silent. He didn't want to be caught as an eavesdropper.

"Likewise. I'll see you soon."

Just like that, Ash walked back onto the road and into the distance.

Nate stayed hidden for just a while longer, waiting for Alder to move. But…

"You can come out, now." the older man said, scaring the living daylight out of Nate.

"Uh… I can explain!" Nate called out. Ash had just told this person that he had potential. It'd be terrible if…

Alder only laughed boisterously in response. "Don't worry! Curiosity is a good thing, especially for one such as yourself!"

"Someone like me?" Nate asked. "What do you mean?"

Alder grinned widely. "Why, a Pokemon trainer, of course! Anyways, my name is Alder! I'm a Trainer with a keen interest in the world. One of my goals is to tell people about how wonderful it is to walk toward the future together with Pokémon."

Nate had the vague feeling that this was scripted. Shrugging, he introduced himself as well, as the two began walking to Floccesy.

"So, uh… How long did you know I was there?" Nate asked nervously, right before they reached town.

Alder laughed loudly again, making Nate grimace as he waited for his answer.

"Since you ducked into the foliage." Alder said, as his laughter finally died down. "This old man still has a few tricks up his sleeve, you know!"

Nate laughed nervously. "And… and Ash? How long do you think he knew I was there?"

Alder started laughing again, and Nate sighed.

"With all the psychic-type Pokemon he has, probably since you stepped onto the road!"

Nate's eyes widened. "Wait, he uses psychic types? But he only used Garchomp and Lucario before…"

"He has a lot of pokemon, kid. Don't dwell on it." Alder replied, chuckling as they entered town.

"What kind?" Nate asked, eager to know more about Pokemon.

Alder scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Well… if I had to guess, just about every kind?"

Nate gaped in amazement, as Alder passed by, chortling.

..

"Achoo!"

Ash sighed as he rubbed his nose. Someone must've been talking about him again.

Grumbling, he knelt down, and laid his hand softly on the ground.

Freshly trampled dirt, clearly from someone inexperienced and in a hurry. They were carrying a heavy load, too, it seems.

Suddenly, a 'ding' came from his backpack, and he quickly unveiled the source; a unique, sleek-looking Pokedex. From the side of it, a circular platform with a slight indent in it slid out, the center beeping slowly.

Quickly, Ash opened it and tapped a few buttons. When he was done, a light covered the Pokedex as a Pokeball appeared on the platform.

"Welcome back, Charizard." Ash murmured, before tucking it away.

Stretching, he stood back up, and started jogging at a steady pace. To Virbank City.

..

 **Rosa got introduced, and she's heading for Nimbasa City, and Ash seems to be on the trail of something leading to Virbank City. Alder's doing a favor for Juniper, to guide Nate for the time being. Bianca's about to tell Juniper Ash is there, then head for Chargestone Cave. Hugh is still in Floccesy Ranch. Maybe he already chased off New Team Plasma?**


	3. Bridge Battle! (3k words now)

**AN: I started writing this around Winter Break and totally forgot about it after hitting a writer's block… Imma look through and edit it with some new ideas. Below are the lists of Pokemon the characters have, or will have in the near future. Does not include Legendaries, ideas are accepted.**

 **Ash (On Hand):**

 **Charizard (Pre-betrayal)**

 **Lucario (Mystery of Mew Movie, more details later)**

 **Garchomp (Pre-betrayal, Gabite)**

 **Gardevoir (The Ralts that had a promise with Max)**

 **Gengar (The Ghastly from Sabrina's Gym)**

 **Krookodile (Unova)**

 **Ash (Elsewhere):**

 **Greninja (Ash-Greninja)**

 **Infernape (Pre-betrayal, Paul's Chimchar)**

 **Heracross**

 **Butterfree (Pre-betrayal, released)**

 **Ivysaur (Pre-betrayal, Bulbasaur)**

 **Pupitar (Larvitar, from Egg. Almost evolved!)**

 **Shiny Aegislash (New, but awesome.)**

 **Tauros (x30)**

 **Rosa:**

 **Snivy (Starter)**

 **Leafeon (Will evolve)**

 **Petilil (Will get)**

 **Nate:**

 **Tepig (Starter)**

 **Growlithe**

 **Riolu (Will get)**

 **Hugh:**

 **Oshawott (Starter)**

 **Psyduck**

 **Azurill**

 **Bianca:**

 **Samurott**

 **Emboar**

 **Escavalier**

 **Minccino**

 **Obviously, Rosa, Nate, and Hugh will catch more later, but for now, this is the Pokemon they have.**

 **IMPORTANT: I have not read the manga of this, so I will be portraying the characters as how they appear in the game, not manga. I also haven't watched the Sun & Moon, nor the X & Y Pokemon shows.**

..

"Tepig, use Ember!"

The little fire-type Pokemon did as its trainer told it to, releasing a burst of flames from its nose and singing the wild Growlithe. Though the fire-type nature of the attack made it ineffective, it still seemed to do the trick, as the dog-like Pokemon wobbled slightly on its feet.

"Alright!" Nate yelled, throwing a pokeball at the dazed Pokemon. "Go, pokeball!"

The sphere sucked in the Growlithe in a flash of red light, before falling onto the grass with a small thud.

With bated breath, Nate waited as it shuddered once… Twice… Before it came to a complete stop, reporting its success with a quiet 'ding'.

Excitedly, Nate high-fived his Tepig with a cheer, before picking up the newest addition to his team.

Earlier that day, Alder had said he'd meet Nate at Floccesy Town, and to be prepared to train. Thus, Nate had decided to try his hand at catching a new Pokemon, which led to the Growlithe he'd just caught.

Putting the pokeball into his backpack, he continued walking, the town coming into view.

Alder was waiting outside of the Pokemon Center, which was visible immediately as Nate entered Floccesy Town.

"I see you're ready?" Alder asked once he saw Nate. "Though, perhaps the other young man that just came through here needs his map, don't you think?"

Nate's eyes widened. "Hugh's here?"

Alder shook his head, making Nate tilt his head to the side in confusion. "He's in Floccesy Ranch. Something about Team Plasma and missing Pokemon. If you hurry, you might be able to catch up!"

With newfound haste, Nate waved goodbye to Alder with a promise to return once his errand was done, before heading out once more.

..

Virbank City, a port city which houses the Virbank Gym and Pokestar Studios. Its ships are the sole method of transportation from Southwestern Unova to the rest of the Unova Region, as a mountain range to the north disabled most land routes.

That was most likely why members of Team Plasma - a terrorist group thought to be destroyed 3 years ago - were here. And because they were here, Ash is here.

"Long time no see, Roxie."

Despite how quietly Ash spoke, the white-haired gym leader noticed him and motioned to her two bandmates, and they brought their song to an abrupt stop. Setting her guitar to the side, she jumped off the stage to greet her old friend.

"Ash!" she exclaimed. "It's been ages! What brings you here to Virbank City?"

Gesturing for the Gym Leader to walk with him, Ash began to speak as they left the building. "N contacted me recently. Team Plasma's back on the move. You know what that means"

Roxie frowned, looking out into the water as an ocean breeze blew past the two. "Ghetsis, huh. And I assume there's some grunts in the city?"

Seeing him nod, she smirked. "Don't worry; I'm a Gym Leader, and it's my job to take care of the city. Besides, the big stuff is happening elsewhere, if three years ago was anything to go by. I'll arrange a ride for you."

"Thanks, Roxie. Keep an eye out. They might have an ace or two up their sleeves." Ash warned her, his eyes distant. "On the other hand, there's someone I have my eye on. Two, actually. They should be arriving within the next few days.

The duo arrived at the edge of the pier, and sat down with their legs hanging over the water. Behind them, the noises of Virbank City's bustling nightlife seemed to fade away as they looked at the distant setting sun.

Roxie hummed cheerfully, curious as to what kinds of people interested Ash, of all people. He'd changed greatly, ever since he left Unova a few years back.

When he returned, apparently some of his 'friends', including the world-renowned Professor Oak - who was currently serving jail time in Kanto for illegally handing out the Pokemon of others without consent - had ganged up on Ash and talked him down. She hadn't been there personally, but she saw what it did to the boy.

He was still easily excitable at times, true, but at other times deathly calm. Loving and friendly, but cold and distant. The minute you think you've outwitted him, he'll pull the rug right out from under you, without hesitation.

Shaking her head out of such thoughts, Roxie pulled out her Xtransceiver,dialed a number, and, after a few moments of conversation, closed it again. "Well, the boat will be prepped soon… I'll call my dad..." the white-haired Gym Leader said, before her eye twitched, and she started muttering under her breath. "Stupid… Movie Star? Don't make me laugh… When I get my hands on him…"

"Thanks, Roxie. I owe you one." Ash replied, smiling.

"And don't you forget it!"

Chuckling, Ash stood up and headed off to the Pokemon Center, leaving Roxie alone.

A deep frown on her face, Roxie leaned back and gazed at the quickly darkening sky.

"Ah, come to think of it, the Pokemon World Tourney is in a few weeks. Maybe I'll get to see some other familiar faces there."

Smirking, Roxie rolled to her feet and popped her neck. Between her duties as a Gym Leader, being a member of her band, and her idiot father, there was never a lack of things to get done, especially now with Team Plasma apparently on the move again.

..

 _ **Three days later**_

Rosa hummed as she exited Nacrene City on her bike. She'd just gotten a good night's sleep after exploring Pinwheel Forest.

She'd spent the whole day there, training with Snivy and Eevee, the latter being a gift from her mother. There, Eevee had, amazingly, evolved into a Leafeon.

With newfound adrenaline, Rosa had trained well into the night, before finally retiring to the Pokemon Center near midnight.

Now, she was heading for Skyarrow bridge, and, more importantly, Castelia City, the largest metropolitan city in Unova.

"Look, Snivy!" she exclaimed, looking up at the colossal suspension bridge as they neared it. "Isn't it amazing?"

"Snivy!" it replied, nodding in agreement. "Vy!"

Laughing, Rosa pedaled the bike up the spiraling path that acts as the entrance to the bridge.

Soon enough, she reached the top, holding her hat with one hand to prevent it from flying away in the wind.

Her eyes widened as she took in the view; despite it being late morning, the sunlight reflected across the wide expanse of blue, like glittering jewels spread across the ocean. Numerous splashes indicated aquatic-type Pokemon swimming below, and a number of other Pokemon flew above.

"...They're here…"

"Eh?"

Rosa looked around in confusion. The bridge was far from silent, but that one statement caught her attention instantly, like fish on a reel. Her eyes darted as she tried to find the speaker, but to no avail. There weren't many people around, but no one was showing signs of having spoken.

"I wonder… if you received my message, Ash…"

That voice…

Rosa spun around, her eyes automatically locking onto a green-haired man with a ponytail poking out from under a black cap.

Said man stared solemnly into the sky, lifting a hand to cover his eyes. "Either way, it seems… my time is up…"

Just as he said it, an explosion rocked the bridge, almost throwing Rosa off her bike as everyone around her stumbled, some falling to the ground. The man, however, didn't budge at all.

Eyes widened, the girl ignored the anomaly and used her height advantage on the bike to look over everyone else. "I-is everyone alright? What happened?"

A few mutters and replies reached her ears as she took charge of the situation. The area she had just come from - that is, the stairwell entrance on this side of the bridge - had been blown up, though nobody was close enough to be hurt from the shrapnel.

"You should step back…" the man from before stated, in the same dull, lifeless tone as before. As if on cue, another explosion occurred, this time from the middle of the bridge, the dust erupting from the site making Rosa cover her face.

As the smoke cleared, it was evident that the explosion was by no means small. As a matter of fact, the two halves of the bridge were completely severed from each other…!

They were…

"We're trapped, huh…" the green-haired person said, rubbing his chin. "They were thorough… With the stairwell on this side destroyed, all that's keeping our section of the bridge is the one or two supports under it…"

Rosa grimaced, thinking fast. "...Do you know what's going on? Mr…"

"...Call me N." he said. "And I do, as a matter of fact. But for now, you people should do as I say. Step back."

The three other people - they seemed to be civilians - edged towards the destroyed stairwell. Rosa stood in place, however, as she noticed something. "There's people on the other side of the destroyed bridge!"

"W-we could call for help!" one person suggested, garnering agreements from the other two.

Rosa would've joined in, but she frowned as she gazed at the distant shapes, her instincts telling her something was off. 'One… Two… There's three of them… How weren't they hurt by the explosion, if they were that close?'

Simultaneously, the figures disappeared in a blur, and Rosa tensed. Snivy, sensing its Trainer's apprehension, did the same.

"...Snivy, Protect!"

Instantly, her starter Pokemon jumped into action, and a shield of hexagonal tiles glowed in the air in front of her. She narrowed her eyes, but didn't see anything. Quietly, she shifted her gaze to N.

"Weak."

In the instant her eyes were averted, something smashed through Snivy's Protect with ease, throwing her from her bike like a rag doll.

"Gak-!" Rosa slammed into the ground, rolling a few times before stopping. With wide eyes, she quickly identified the assailant; a Bisharp, standing in front of one of the three people she had seen before. Now that it was closer, she could see that the man had white, shaggy hair, and a black and gray uniform that extended to a black face mask that covered the lower half of his face.

Gritting her teeth, she forced herself upright with great difficulty, breathing heavily after taking the attack straight on. 'I can't believe that they broke through Snivy's Protect with one move! This is dangerous!'

Reaching over to her side, where her bag had landed, she pulled out a pokeball. "...Snivy, Return…"

"Natural Harmonia Gropus. Hand over the Stone, or we will make you do so by force." the man stated, the two others dressed in identical clothing appearing next to him. Both had pokeballs pulled out. They were all facing the green-haired man.

Despite that, N smiled sorrowfully. "And I had just said to call me N… No matter. You wish for the Stone? You must yourselves worthy, at least…"

Without another word, N pulled from his pocket a pure-white rock. Immediately, the three backed away. "Don't be so fearful, Triad. As the embodiment of truth, he'll be dissatisfied if you don't show your true strength, you know. Not that I'd mind..."

"...Tch. He's bluffing, it's still dormant!" one of them yelled, though he sounded unsure. "Accelgor, Focus Blast!"

"Oh dear. Reshiram, let's start off with an Imprison, shall we?"

As the bug-type Pokemon appeared in a flash of red and began flying towards its target, the white ball in N's hands began to grow impossibly huge.

Rosa watched, slack-jawed, as the white spread far past the size of a house, into the shape of a dragon, standing behind N. The instant it appeared fully, it released a roar that echoed throughout the bridge, causing tremors in the ocean below. Pinkish glowing chains burst from the concrete and wrapped around Accelgor, immobilizing it instantly.

"We've picked up a few tricks in the last few years, you see." N exclaimed, smiling with his eyes closed, his hat shadowing his eyes for a menacing look.

The center Triad grimaced. This had just made his job a lot harder. But if it was for Lord Ghetsis… "Che. This is trivial! We will capture you and Reshiram, in the name of Team Plasma! Bisharp, use Night Slash!"

N clicked his tongue as the dark-type move cut through the chains easily. As Imprison was classified as a psychic-type move, a Bisharp of that level could easily cut through a Legendary's attacks when given the type advantage. 'Fusion Flare will be too destructive, and there are bystanders… But I'm not sure anything less will be able to beat the Shadow Triad!'

Gritting his teeth N contemplated his choices. One, defend himself, putting the lives of others on the bridge at risk. Two, risk Team Plasma capturing Reshiram, putting all of Unova at risk… Or three…

"Reshiram, use Dragon Pulse on them. Try not to release too much power." N asked his friend, sharing a meaningful look with the dragon before tilting his head to the people gathered at the other end of the bridge. Reshiram nodded in understanding.

Opening its mouth, the Legendary Pokemon fired a beam of dark purple energy with frightening destructive ability, the attack carving its way through the air.

With a command from their respective trainers, both Accelgor and Bisharp jumped out of the way, in different directions.

N's frown deepened, looking between the two Pokemon.

'Wait… Two?'

"Watch out!" Rosa yelled, making N's eyes widen as he whirled around.

Too slow.

"Sucker Punch!"

As the third and final member of the Shadow Triad cried out the attack, his Banette, which had snuck up on N from behind during the battle, planted its fist into the man's body.

 _Deep_ into his body.

Spittle flew from his mouth as N winced from the pain… before rocketing away from the force of the attack. Time seemed to slow as N flew up into the sky, and across the width of the bridge, just barely past the railing. Reshiram slammed its wing into Banette and moved to save its friend, but was stopped as Bisharp and Accelgor planted a Night Slash and X-Scissor into its back respectively.

Seeing N fall over the edge of the bridge snapped Rosa out of her shock and awe. "Come out, Leafeon! Use Magical Leaf!"

Appearing in a burst of red light, the grass-type Pokemon did as told, shooting a barrage of purple, glowing leaves at the two. Bisharp merely raised its arms in a X, the leaves bouncing off of him, but Accelgor was hit dead on.

This was enough, however, for Reshiram to shake off Bisharp. Roaring angrily, the Vast White Pokemon unleashed a torrent of flames upon all three Pokemon. Even then, it was careful not to use a too-powerful move like Fusion Flare, thus...

"Banette, Destiny Bond!"

A member of the Triad was given enough time to call out one final order just as the three Pokemon were knocked out.

With a wail of pain, Reshiram, already weakened, wobbled on its feet, glaring at the humans, before slowly turning stiff, as if it was petrifying. Then, it started shrinking, back into the Light Stone. Rosa wasn't sure what that signified, but it couldn't be good.

The leader of the Shadow Triad clicked his tongue as he saw that his Bisharp was knocked out, before returning said Pokemon back to the pokeball. Then, he nodded to the one on his right, the one with the Accelgor.

Immediately, the man understood pulled out a pokeball, a Liepard appearing in a flash of red light. "Liepard, Dark Pulse."

The cat-like Pokemon did as it was told, charging up the dark energy in its mouth and firing it. At Rosa.

Rosa's eyes widened, but she didn't freeze up like she did when she saw Reshiram. "Leafeon, use Leaf Blade!"

Leafeon lowered its head, the leaf on top glowing bright green. As the purplish-black projectiles reached them, it just barely managed to deflect them, using the leaf to bat them to the side.

Rosa waved away the dust of the explosion that had scattered behind her, coughing. "That's some serious firepower… Leafeon, Razor Leaf!"

"Dodge, then Night Slash."

Liepard disappeared from view, reappearing right in front of Leafeon and cutting it across the side. Gritting her teeth, Rosa called out her next move. "Endure it, Leafeon! Grass Whistle!"

Sticking the leaf atop its head into its mouth, the grass-type closed its eyes and began playing a melody, Liepard being unable to dodge the musical notes.

It didn't need to. Only slightly drowsy, Liepard was still able to jump back, smacking its opponent with its tail while doing so.

"...Enough, she is of no threat to the operation. We have what we came for."

Reluctantly, Rosa's opponent nodded, and disappeared, recalling the Liepard.

"Not so fast, Team Plasma!"

Instinctively, Rosa's head snapped over to look at the source of the voice, gasping. A young man, not much older than she, was flying atop a Charizard, glaring at the Triad. Behind him, the strange man, N, lay limply on the Charizard's back. "If you think I'm just gonna let you off with Reshiram, you're sorely mistaken!"

"...Ash Ketchum…"

"Charizard, Steel Wing!" the teen yelled, and the large red dragon roared, flashing forwards as its wings turned silver. She could hardly see them move before they crashed into the Triad. He jumped off just before the explosion, and pulled out a Pokeball. "Lucario, give Team Plasma what they deserve. Aura Sphere!"

"Shit!" One of the masked men yelled, and the Liepard jumped in front of them to confront the Lucario… The bipedal Pokemon tore through its foe in an instant, smashing the attack into the guts of the nearest person.

Coughing out spittle, the man wobbled on his feet, before another grabbed the back of his collar. In the midst of the explosion, the three vanished, making Ash curse.

"Dammit, they got away…" he muttered, returning Lucario with a small thanks. "...So, are you ok?"

Realizing that he was talking to her, Rosa nodded, rubbing her arm bashfully. "Yeah, I'm fi- Ah, Snivy and Leafeon needs to go to the Pokemon Center right away!"

Ash nodded in agreement as he looked at Leafeon, before smiling broadly. It was always nice to see another trainer care for their Pokemon. "Ok. You can take a ride on Charizard; it doesn't look like the bridge is getting fixed anytime soon…"

Rosa looked at the gaping chasm in the middle of the bridge, then at the twisted, melted metal that used to be the stairwell, and then back at Ash.

"...Yeah. Thanks… Ash?" she said, asking the last part as she recalled what the masked man had said. Seeing a nod of confirmation, she smiled. "Thanks for letting me ride your Charizard, Ash. My name's Rosa."

"Anytime." the black-haired teen replied, smirking. Quietly, he looked back at the battlefield, then at his still unconscious friend sadly. Walking several steps behind him, he scooped up an object that Rosa couldn't make out, then called out to Charizard.

Flaring its nose, the Pokemon lowered its back so that Rosa could climb on, careful not to disturb N.

"And away we go." Ash muttered, jumping lightly onto Charizard's back as they took off.

...The civilians on the bridge were left behind.

..

 **Oh yeah, chapters are now 3k words, though this one went a bit above that. And, a tier list for those who like these things. Power within ranks is in order. Subject to change (drastically) in the near future. With the right circumstances, (i.e cockiness, luck, willpower, etc.) lower ranks can surpass higher ranks, if only temporarily.**

 **SSS** **-**

 **Ash (Duh)**

 **Champions (Cynthia, Iris, Alder (w/ Volcarona), Hilbert)**

 **Ghetsis (w/ Kyurem)**

 **N (w/ Reshiram)**

 **Elite Four (Caitlin, Marshall, Grimsley, Shauntal)**

 **S** **-**

 **Ghetsis**

 **N**

 **Shadow Triad (altogether)**

 **Alder (w/o Volcarona)**

 **Friends (Gary, Paul, Barry, Dawn, Ursula, Georgia, Drew)**

 **Gym Leaders (Drayden, Cilan, Elesa, Clay, Marlon, Skyla)**

 **Researchers (Juniper, Cyrus)**

 **A** **-**

 **Shadow Triad (individual)**

 **Gym Leaders (Roxie, Cheren, Burgh)**

 **Bianca**

 **B** **-**

 **Rookies (Rosa, Nate, Hugh)**

 **Unranked/Unknown** **-**

 **Yancy, Brock, Max, May, Misty, Jessie, James**

 **And yes, Alder's Volcarona will die. And no, it has not died yet. You can also use this as a list of everyone that will appear, I guess.**


	4. Apologies

**Note: I am posting this on all my unfinished stories.**

 **My sincere apologies for the long delay. Unfortunately for those who've hoped for a future update, I've grown unmotivated to write fanfiction (in case you couldn't tell). While this may be irresponsible, I also believe leaving any hopefuls hanging is also irresponsible.**

 **As such, here is my formal statement: I am dropping all my stories and putting them up for adoption.**

 **If anyone adopts a story, please PM me, and I will notify the readers. If you have any difficulty in writing the story, know that I am willing to extend a helping hand.**

 **Thank you for reading this, and sorry.**

 **~DeltaWing13**


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